


Beneath the Mask

by Drowninginworkbutstill



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Flirting, Gen, M/M, Tattoo appears when someone likes you AU, Tension, akeshuu, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:15:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27321826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drowninginworkbutstill/pseuds/Drowninginworkbutstill
Summary: It suddenly made sense.The large black mask across his back.It was Kurusu Akira’s mark. The sign of attraction and attention.
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 12
Kudos: 109
Collections: sugamint's zine fics





	Beneath the Mask

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the persona love webzine, which got cancelled by the mods.

  
  
Akechi was covered in tattoos. In fact, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that new symbols appeared on him each time he appeared on television to talk about a new case he solved. In a world where marks appear on your body when someone likes you, the number of marks reveals someone’s popularity, someone’s worth.    
  
It was disgusting.   
  
He hid them under long sleeves and long pants, under tall collars, thick socks and even resorted to using concealer if he had to. He hated showing them in public. His aversion caused him to suffer every summer.    
  
Fuck Japan’s heatwaves.    
  
Right now, he was fanning himself with a folder, trying to cool down before his shoot. He was putting off wearing his stuffy suit to the very last minute; thus, he stood half-naked in the changing room, alone. No one was allowed into the room with him. Not the manager he had been assigned, nor any makeup artists. He didn’t want to risk anyone seeing his tattoos and ‘teasing’ him about how many people liked him. He wasn’t in the mood to smile and lie about how honoured he was.    
  
Akechi rubbed the infantile-looking rainbow on his wrist. A stranger recently put this mark on him, and he had no way of erasing it. In the mirror, he glared at the patterns that covered him messily like a child’s sticker book collection. It felt like his body no longer belonged to him but was the property of the public. Even if some of the marks disappeared with time, new ones took over them without fail, tainting his skin. The proof of the public’s gaze on him.    
  
He had expected this, going into the job. It was his task to seem polite, kind and intelligent. The highschool detective persona was eagerly lapped up by the audience, landing him into a spot of fame that was equal parts rewarding and burdensome.    
  
The fake Akechi was who they liked. He wondered how many of them would fade if they knew the real him. Maybe he would finally be unmarked. Bare. He would be able to see all of his skin that he had never been able to since elementary school.    
  
Would that day ever come?    
  
Akechi shook his head wryly. If that happened, it would show that he failed. This was an act that he had to keep playing.    
  
As he turned to grab his coffee, he caught a glimpse of black along his shoulders.    
  
Startled, he tried to take a better look.    
  
A black mask spanned across his upper back, covering the area from one shoulder blade to another. All the previous tattoos that were on his back were gone, covered by this one. This must be a new tattoo. But who could this be? It was the first time he had such a large tattoo. Furthermore, one that was pure black… They almost resembled wings.    
  
Black wings.    
  
Hah, that would definitely suit a devil like him.    
  
“Akechi-san, you’ll be on air in 15 minutes!” Someone hollered from outside the door.    
  
“Got it!” he answered, tugging on a white button-up shirt. The pure white cloth covered the marks. He smiled in the mirror to check how his persona would look. God, he seemed so fake. He hated himself. He tied his tie and wore his coat, making sure not even a hair was out of place.    
  
He had to be spotless. So spotless that no one would think twice about whether he was ever tainted.    
  
It was time to play the role of the Detective Prince.   
  


* * *

  
“That, um, Akechi-sama, what’s your favourite food!”   
  
The audience laughed at the question, and Akechi chuckled as well. Well, this was what he expected. The sheer amount of highschool girls were here not out of an interest in the case— they were here as fans of the false self he presented. Honestly, couldn’t they at least ask about the case he just presented for an hour?    
  
Sweetly, he spoke into the mic. “Hmm… it’s so hard to pick. I guess I’ll go with pancakes?”   
  
Girls squealed at his cute answer as he expected. His cheeks were sore from smiling.    
  
“Then, I’ll take one more question. Anyone?”    
  
He looked at the two hundred people in the audience. Many people had their hands raised, waving them about eagerly to be picked. Akechi could tell the type of questions they wanted to ask from their facial expressions. Boring. Wasn’t there someone different? Someone…   
  
Ah.    
  
He was sitting there today, huh?    
  
Akira Kurusu.   
  
“Then… the guy with the glasses in the last row.”   
  
Everyone watched as the lucky person Akechi selected walked to the stage. The audience whispered among themselves. They seemed displeased by Akechi’s selection, perhaps for a good reason. He came every week and asked argumentative questions that ruined the mood.    
  
Accepting the microphone from the MC, Kurusu didn’t acknowledge the audience as he looked straight at Akechi with unwavering eyes. With a confident, blunt tone, he cut to the chase. “Are you sure that the culprit is Yamaguchi Takeshi?”   
  
Murmurs erupted through the crowd. It was him, the renowned troublemaker. Why hadn’t he been banned from Akechi’s show yet?    
  
Akechi gave his business smile as he replied, “He has a motive and lacks an alibi. Furthermore, we have a witness who saw him in the area. He ended up confessing. What makes you think he  _ isn’t? _ ”    
  
“The case highly resembles the one in South Korea. Seongnamdong, 2003. The method is the exact same. A deep knife wound across the lips, bodies burnt beyond recognition. The victims could no longer be identified due to even the fingerprints being burnt off. Similarly, the culprit evaded capture for a long time as he was an unregistered citizen living in the abandoned railway tunnels. With the high level of similarity, is there a possibility of a larger syndicate behind everything? Yamaguchi Takeshi could be a scapegoat.”    
  
Well, he certainly was well-informed. It was to the level where Akechi wondered if Kurusu was a die-hard murder case fan or had a contact in the police force.    
  
“You’re right. However, it doesn’t change the fact that the evidence points to him as the one who conducted the murders, even  _ if  _ he was under orders. He could be a copycat murderer.”    
  
Kurusu looked highly unconvinced.    
  
It was understandable. Even Akechi himself felt there was much more to the story. They exchanged heated gazes across the stage.    
  
The MC was quick to cut in before it could drag on.    
  
“Thank you for the question! Akechi-san, thank you so much for the detailed report on the case. With that, everyone, see you again next week!”   
  
“And… cut!”   
  
The audience glared at Akira Kurusu even as they were guided out of the set. Before a security guard could escort Kurusu out, Akechi stopped him.    
  
“Wait, I still have things to discuss with him.”    
  
The guard nodded and backed off. Left alone in the dim set as people streamed out, Akechi and Kurusu stared at each other, thoughts circling through their minds. They seemed to be trying to read each other.    
  
Kurusu was the first to break the silence. “You suspect that there’s more to the story, isn’t there?”    
  
Akechi smiled pleasantly. “Well then, would you like to hear me out? Let’s talk about it in further detail somewhere else.”  
  


* * *

  
The soft music of his favourite jazz bar washed over him, soothing his frayed nerves. He finally relaxed his tense shoulders. It was so tiring to be in front of flashing cameras and a crowd. Akechi traced the rim of his coffee cup with a finger.    
  
“How is it? Quite a nice and cosy place, isn’t it? It’s my favourite place to unwind.” 

Kurusu nodded, looking around the place curiously. The music seemed to be coming from the old jukebox in the corner, giving the cafe a retro vibe. There were only a few customers here right now. It made sense since this place was in such a secluded corner. Once he finished surveying the area, he watched Akechi with dark, round eyes.    
  
“There’s more to the story, isn’t it? It’s not just a simple homicide case. There’s something too suspicious about it. Even up to this day, the culprit refuses to identify the victims by name or facial features despite confessing to the crimes.”   
  
Akechi nodded. He took a sip of his coffee, wetting his tongue. Lowering his voice, he told Kurusu, “I suspect the case is linked to an international syndicate that specialises in identity theft. The fact that the homeless victims had identifiable facial features and fingerprints burnt off reinforces this. No one ever came for them- they likely targeted citizens who were isolated people without any living family members.”    
  
“Why didn’t you inform the public about this?”   
  
“There’s no damning evidence. With such a big group, it’s likely tied to corrupt politicians and the higher-ups in the police force. As a high school detective, I do not have the jurisdiction nor power to bring them down yet. I cannot afford to cut off the tail and allow the head to escape.”    
  
Kurusu nodded, deep in thought. It was strange how easy it was to speak to the high school boy like they were equals. He had strong deductive powers and keen insight towards cases. It was to the point that Akechi considered having Kurusu as a partner.    
  
“Please let me know if there’s anything I can help you with,” Kurusu offered sincerely.    
  
“You help plenty even just as my conversation partner,” Akechi remarked warmly with a friendly smile. “I would appreciate it if we could have these chats now and then.”    
  
Kurusu stared at him with his deep eyes. He stared for so long that even Akechi, who was used to having gazes on him, felt disconcerted.    
  
“Is something wrong, Kurusu-kun?”

“Aren’t you tired?”    
  
Akechi blinked at Kurusu. With a soft smile and carefully upturned eyes, he asked, “What do you mean? Well, being a detective is indeed tough work.”    
  
“Wearing a mask.”    
  
Akechi tried his best to remain calm. There was no way anyone caught on. His behaviour had been perfect thus far. With a frozen smile, he regarded the stoic teen in front of him. Kurusu Akira looked absolutely serious with his blunt words. He always threw Akechi for a loop when he least expected it and the detective found him interesting for that.   
  
Akechi disliked what a nuisance he was. However, the detective couldn’t help but be drawn to Kurusu. Akechi wondered what was going on in that head of his. This was the first time he found it difficult to read someone. 

“We all wear masks, don’t you think?” Akechi said mildly, redirecting the line of questioning. “For example, you would behave differently in front of a teacher, when you’re home with your family, or when you’re out with friends, no?”   
  
Kurusu considered the refute seriously.    
  
“You’re right in that regard. However, Akechi-san, which are you right now?”   
  
Again with the strange questions. The corner of Akechi’s lips quirked up as he leaned in. With a teasing lilt to his tone, he asked, “What do you think we are?”   
  
“...I would like to be friends with you.”    
  
“You don’t think we already are?”   
  
“No, I mean with the  _ real _ you.”   
  
“What…” The word fell out of Akechi’s lips before he could stop himself. He pursed his lips tightly together. Anger swelled within him like molten lava, curling around his insides and setting him aflame. He steeled himself, trying to stay calm. His next words were cold and sharp. “What do you even know about me? You’re being really rude and presumptuous here...Why are you smiling?”   
  
Kurusu looked nonplussed and self-assured. The smile dancing on his lips showed that everything had unfurled according to his expectations.    
  
“I like it when you don’t pretend around me. I know the difference because I’ve been watching you closely.”   
  
It suddenly made sense.    
  
The large black mask across his back.   
  
It was Kurusu Akira’s mark. The sign of attraction and attention.    
  
“...Since when?”   
  
He didn’t need to elaborate. Kurusu Akira knew what he meant. Perhaps this was the boy who knew him the best out of everyone else in the world.    
  
After all, no one else had figured out he was wearing a mask.    
  
“Since I first saw you,” Kurusu replied honestly, his gaze earnest and sincere. Akechi’s mind spun as he calculated the time frames between when they first met and when he first saw the mark. The time matched up. It had been a difficult month of investigations, so much so that he had forgotten about the mark entirely until now.    
  
“If you’ve  _ supposedly  _ seen the real me, you should be disgusted. You should be avoiding me. Why are you here, drinking a cup of coffee with me?”    
  
“I’ve seen how hardworking you are. You always hide dark eye circles with concealer. You become gaunt and thin every time you’re investigating a new case because you barely stop to eat. You’re the most intelligent person I know. You’re passionate. Everyone our age is busy goofing off, but you’re working hard based on your beliefs and ideals. I find that admirable. Even though you dislike sweet things, you pretend to like them to appear like a more friendly person. I think that’s cute.”    
  
That sounded like a confession.    
  
“Are you a stalker?” Akechi sighed wearily, a sarcastic half-smile on his face. “Sure, let’s say that you’ve gotten me all figured out. What are you going to do then? Smear my name on social media? No one will believe you.”    
  
“I’ve already told you. I want to be friends.”   
  
That was all? Really?   
  
...He couldn’t detect any lies in those straightforward eyes. It might be a trick of the mind, but he could feel the tattoo on his back burning.    
  
With a smile, Akechi said, “You’ve got terrible taste. Well, I suppose I’m not much better since I’m sitting here with you.”    
  
As the detective expected, Kurusu understood his words. A slow, satisfied smile stretched the teen’s lips. With a twinkle in his eye, Kurusu asked, “When can I see you again?”    
  
“Who knows? A detective is busy.”    
  
Again, Kurusu understood and nodded.    
  
“I’ll wait for your calls.”    
  


**Author's Note:**

> First time writing for P5 <3 Hope it's in character!


End file.
